Too + Adjective + Infinitive

When there is a verb after too + adjective, we use its infinitive form:

Too + Adjective + Infinitive

If we look at this sentence again:

  • The fridge is too heavy.

If we want to put a verb (lift) after it, it needs to be in its infinitive form, so it becomes:

  • The fridge is too heavy to lift.

And this sentence:

  • The coffee is too hot.

We can an infinitive at the end:

  • The coffee is too hot to drink.

Some more example sentences of Too + Adjective + Infinitive

  • It is too late to go to the concert. It started an hour ago.
  • He is too young to drive a car.
  • My grandfather it too old to play
  • I am too tired to do my homework.
  • Your question is too difficult to answer.

Look at this sentence again.

  • The coffee is too hot to drink.

In this sentence I don’t mention WHO finds the coffee too hot. Is it me? my mother? Let’s say I can’t drink it.

To add a person to this sentence, we use the following sentence structure: 

Too + Adjective + (for + person) + infinitive

  • The coffee is too hot for me to drink.

We can also put someone’s name if you want.

  • The coffee is too hot for Rob to drink.

But it is more common to use an object pronoun.

  • The coffee is too hot for him to drink.

Let’s use this structure to change this sentence:

  • The fridge is too heavy. Steve can’t lift it.

How can we use the structure we have seen? (pause) This becomes:

  • The fridge is too heavy for Steve to lift.

Let’s change another sentence:

  • It is too late to go to the concert.

This can become:

  • It is too late for us to go to the concert.

I used us because I am imagining both my wife and I had planned to go to the concert.

You could also say:

  • It is too late for me to go to the concert.

It depends on who was going to go to the concert.

More examples of this structure:

  • It was too wet for us to go camping.
  • The river water is too dirty for them to drink.
  • This is too difficult for me to complete.
  • The room was too noisy for her to study. (The noise distracts her. She likes to study in quiet)

Note: We don’t always need an infinitive.

We can just use this structure:

Too + Adjective (+ for + person/people)

  • That shirt is too small for him.
  • It is too early for me. (I usually don’t wake up until later)
  • This is too complicated for us.
  • I think it is too big for you.

TOO + Adjective Summary Chart

Too + Adjective + Infinitive - English Grammar - Word Order

 

 

Lesson tags: Adjectives, Adverbs, Infinitives, Too, Very
Back to: English Course > Adverbs in English

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